Assessment:
Plot: Adorable is one word to describe both the characters and plot of this novel. There are enough twists and turns to make the story interesting and keep readers engaged.
Prose: The prose is well crafted, descriptive, and entirely suited to this sweet story. The writing will spark the imaginations of young readers.
Originality: The continuing adventures of Orville and friends calls to mind Winnie the Pooh crossed with just a bit of Harry Potter, while still maintaining its integrity with unique characters.
Character Development: The characters here are relatable, fleshed-out, and show some growth and development over the course of the story.
Date Submitted: August 03, 2017
Reviewed by Joel R. Dennstedt * 5 stars (Author of Guanjo, When Dolls Talk, Orange Cappuccino, Hermit)
"Tom Hoffman has spent three glorious volumes creating and expositing the fictional universe inhabited by Orville and his friends. In Orville Mouse and the Puzzle of the Capricious Shadows - the best of the series so far - we are treated to a most wonderful, humor-filled delight of brave-hearted but vulnerable souls tackling issues much larger than themselves. Incorporating magic that is only science that is truly magic, they represent a level of metaphysical wisdom misleadingly made subtle by a smart and creative author. One forgets that he is an adult reading a young person's book, and you might be inclined to blame it on a stray mote when a tear or two makes an unwarranted appearance. Or maybe Orville or Sophia shaped it there to teach us a necessary lesson. Or maybe, just maybe, Tom Hoffman is showing us all the truth disguised as inordinate, adventurous, heart-warming fun."
